Big Spring High School
Newville, Pennsylvania
Teacher: Mrs. D. Whitmoyer

Personal Responsibility?

By Thomas Carano

Grade 11

What can I do? It’s not my problem why do I have to worry about it? These are questions asked by many people. But when tragedy strikes people ask what they could have done. In America we have an abundance of violent crimes and poverty. We are feeding all of those hungry children in Africa but why can’t we feed the poor in America? What can be done?

First of all to improve the quality of life in my community we must reduce the amount of crime and vandalism. Police need to be better equipped to handle situations. If the police had better resources then they may be more efficient. Tougher crime laws would also help. If punishments were harder criminals may not want to commit crimes. Also prisons should do a better job of rehabilitating criminals before letting them back into society. Crime is like a cancer spreading through out the land. If we don’t stop it then we will live in a society of criminals and live in fear. We may be the most industrialized country in the world but we can’t stop people from committing crimes. Focus should also be on the victims of crimes not on the people who committed them. Look at Columbine High School. The media spent more time on why they thought that the killers went on the rampage that killed a dozen students. Are the victims not important? As a society are we more interested in what the killer did than what happens to the innocent people whom are involved in these crimes now. Today in American society we now even blame the victims for the crime. Just because some one was killed while they were pumping gas by a stray bullet doesn’t mean they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Secondly, education needs to be improved. With the rapid growth of technology people need to be able to read and write. Schools need to be provided more money than the federal government is currently giving them. To keep schools updated with the current technologies they need more money. Teachers should also be given more training even if they have their masters’ degree. If we want to keep our students learning the same irrelevant knowledge then the teachers of tomorrow need to be better trained for the job. More money = better schools = better teachers = better education. Education needs a vital face-lift to survive. In America we say education is important but what are we doing to help it get better. We need only to have our educational system collapse and then where would we be? As humans we have a natural curiosity for knowledge. This is what keeps us going and finding out new things about space, science, the human body etc.

Thirdly, we need to improve the quality of life. Since we are the most industrialized nation in the world why can’t we provide health care for all of our citizens. Even the United Kingdom has a comprehensive health care system for their citizens. They just simply pay more taxes than we do. But they actually get more in return for paying a little bit more in taxes. In America we see other countries slums and decimated areas but we don’t realize that we have the exact same thing here in America. We have the natural resources to provide for every person in our society but what do we do? We look out for number 1. No one else matters the only thing we care about is money. If we have money we are happy. As Americans we spend most of our time helping other countries but we can’t even help ourselves.

Finally, as we have entered the 21^st century, the new millenium, and a new era of peace and prosperity. If we could use all the money, power technology, and know-how we could help even the smallest community in America. If we could improve our own communities then may be we would be able to help other countries in the world. They say helping begins at home. If every one helped some one else we all would learn a new kind of respect for one another. Humanitarianism is a great thing but if only a few people help out to then we are going to get nothing accomplished. Humanity is at its zenith. We live in a post-industrial society. It is said that this is the highest point in humanity. No one knows what is after this because no one has ever gotten here. For all we know we could end up like the Romans. But in the end our personal responsibility begins at home. We all need to improve something so why don’t we make it important.

Answers To Questions Re: Required Reading

Q1. In Manus they invest in marriages like we invest in companies. For a male child’s family pay a large amount in dog’s teeth and shell money. And for the brides family they pay in hogs and oil.

Q2. 1. 10 years. Don’t fight it only gives you something else to fight about.

30 years. Communication is key. Talk about any little thing no matter how insignificant it may seem.

15 years. Just keep her happy. Buy her anything she wants.

12 years. Keep the romance alive. Do something out of the ordinary.

5 years. Make your spouse only think they wear the pants in the family.

8 years. Marriages break up over the stupid things. Keep your priorities straight.

2 years. Too early to tell but we seem happy just being together.

25 years. Don’t tell her she is wrong in front of her face. Tell only your closest friends.

18 years. The little things count. Don’t forget about them.

1 year. Don’t change a thing about which you are.

Q3. We should address the many critical issues that are currently facing in western society.

Q4. In my community I would improve the safety of all the residents. After all people will always need protection.

Q5. Why would any one want a doll like their mother? There are multitudes of people that see psychiatrists for many years. Just because people have to work strange hours to support their children why do they need a doll to teach them companionship.

Q6. In a democracy we have the inherent right to sue people for the harm they cause.

Q7. Punitive damages. People are reimbursed for their pain and suffering. People should only be paid for “actual damage.”

Q8. They can provide job opportunities to the younger generation, They can give advice to he young, and they are a valuable resource to all.

Q9. Clinton’s anti-poverty program will work on a small level. There is no way that one program is going to help the poor. Second, there should be more help at the state level than from the government. There are enough government programs to help the poor. Finally, if people are going to be helped then they need to help themselves.

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